


we took the long way round but it made all the more room in my heart for you

by MatildaSwan



Category: Holby City
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Established Relationship, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, Feelings, Femslash February, dinner date
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-04
Updated: 2017-02-04
Packaged: 2018-09-22 00:09:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9572975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MatildaSwan/pseuds/MatildaSwan
Summary: They might not have been together long, but Serena knows that somehow, this is different.Set post "The Kill List" and canon divergent after that.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I decided I wanted a collection of domestic smut fluff where Serena and Bernie can be happy and this happened. 
> 
> Title inspired by Phildel's "Beside You"
> 
> also shout out to @awesomelesbainsurgeon for being hella supportive and a general cutie

To say that AAU had been busy today would be an understatement. Within two minutes of their shift starting Bernie had taken trauma lead, calling Raf in to assist, as wave after wave of fresh cases rolled in through the doors. Serena had set about managing the overflow while the red phone tried its best to ring itself off the hook in the hours since then. Serena spent the whole day up to her elbows in surgery until she finally, finally, gets a chance to catch her breath not long before the end of her shift.

She scrubs out of her latest operation and heads back out onto the ward. Considers changing back into her day wear but decides she cannot be bothered at the moment. She walks through the ward and find herself in the middle of a brief lull: calm emanating around the ward as patients nap and wait and her staff work. She retreats to her office but leaves the door open. She can practically hear the next call coming in already.

Serena sits down at her desk and relishes the relief of taking the weight off her feet. She gives herself a few moments to relax into the back of her chair: rubs her face and groans into her hands. Sits up and pulls a file over from the pile of paperwork to her right and sets about culling the stack manageable again.

She manages to concentrate through three folders until the hustle of the ward picks up a bit and interrupts her train of though. She looks up through the still open door and out at the bustle of the ward. Sees Morven walking down the corridor and a gaggle of F1’s hot on her heels. Spies Raf talking to a patient on the far corner of the ward and Fletch bending over in front of the computer in the Nurses’s station.

Serena catches a glimpse of Bernie striding across the ward. Raf stops her for a second, right in Serena’s line of sight, and hands her some patient notes. Raf gestures with his hands as he asks for a consult. Bernie looks down at the paper in her hand as she listens and Serena cannot help looking.

Bernie is plainly just out of surgery: turquoise scrubs crumpled and creased and her hair still pulled back messy. Serena can see the balance of tension and calmness that Bernie embodies after operating: palpable relief the task is over but adrenaline still humming under the skin. Bernie hands back the notes with a nod and walks to the other side of the ward and Serena cannot help thinking.

She thinks of Bernie: all extreme efficiency and steely resolve on the ward. Thinks of Bernie when she turns that resolve towards Serena: strong arms and hot kisses and sure fingers. Serena swallows a hum at the memory of grinding down on Bernie’s thigh the morning before. She thinks of them, slick and sliding and together, and gives up all pretence of working.

She sinks further into her chair as her thoughts tumble away from her. She thinks about kissing Bernie, holding Bernie, touching Bernie. She thinks about Bernie writhing beneath her, grasping at the sheets as she gasps out loud. Thinks about her fingers buried in Bernie: scorching and wet and clenching. She thinks about her coming, hard and loud and gushing. Heat pools between Serena’s legs and she shifts in her seat.

“Do you want to grab something to eat when we clock off?” Bernie’s voice breaks through Serena’s thoughts. “Have a proper sit-down somewhere we don’t have to do the washing up?”

Serena looks up to see Bernie leaning against the doorframe: Serena had not noticed her walking towards the office. She blushes at being caught daydreaming at work but Bernie does not seem to notice, or at least does not say anything. She just stands, lanky in the doorframe, waiting for Serena to reply.

“Ah, yes, that’d be nice,” Serena manages to stammer out. Busies herself with the open notes on her desk. “But nothing fancy, I’ve an early start tomorrow,” she adds reasonably. “I’ll give Jason a call to let him know we won’t be home for dinner?”

Bernie nods and smiles, pushes away from the frame and turns around to walk back across the ward. Serena watches her walk, purpose in her stride, and remembers the strength of those thighs pressed firm between hers. Remembers the heat of Bernie’s body against her and the grip on her hips and the grip in her hair.

Serena turns her face back down to her desk. Remembers the kisses pressed against her cheek and the voice in her ear whispering, “let go, darling, I’ve got you. I promise, I’ve got you, let go.” Remembers coming and falling forward and falling asleep in the warmth and safety of Bernie’s arms.

Serena’s heart thumps and her stomach churns as a new type of feeling runs through her. Feelings she had spend hours, weeks, agonising over after Bernie had left, ran, leaving Serena fizzling and thumping and needing with no where to go. But those feelings—wonderful and harsh and light and petrifying — were nothing compared to now, with Bernie back and in her life and her arms and her bed. 

She thinks of the rush that comes with the constant wanting and needing and, of course, the having. The having each other when ever they get the chance. She had felt this before, obviously, the thrill of something just starting. The early hunger that fades into comfortable adoration as the desire sinks to intimacy.

She thinks about the newness of it all, of the two of them. She had been in love before but somehow this, now with Bernie, feels different. Being with Bernie, with her best friend, it is all so much more intense and terrifying. She loves this feeling almost as much as she loves Bernie.

Serena turns her attention back to the ward, her stomach in knots. Sees Bernie at still at the Nurses’s station, still leaning down and taping at the keyboard. Bernie seems to sense Serena’s gaze and slowly, slowly, turns her head back towards Serena. Her face is warm and open and her eyes are sparkling. Serena feels another wave of wanting wash over her and tears her eyes away. Buries herself back to her paperwork before she snaps and does something silly, like burying herself in Bernie and never letting go.

 

*****

 

Despite the hectic pace of the rest of their shift, the final hour on the ward goes by as quietly as can be expected and Serena takes the chance and changes out of her scrubs. Gets on top of her paperwork and clocks out.

Bernie meets her in their office not long after, freshly changed into civvies. She smiles wide when she sees Serena gathering her things from her desk.

“Ready to go?” Bernie asks and Serena nods. Slings her bag over her shoulder and brushes past Bernie on her way to the door. “What do you fancy tonight?”

The question is innocent enough, but it still sends a thrill up Serena’s spine. She bites back the urge to say ‘you’ and suggests they get Thai from the new place they noticed opening up in between Serena’s house and Bernie’s flat.

Bernie drives as she did that morning and tunes the radio to the classical station. Serena stares out the window and relaxes into the passenger seat as an orchestra hums through the car. The drive takes a fraction of the time she thought it would and she wonders if she dozed off for a moment.

The restaurant is busy but not bustling and they find a table for two with relative ease. They are silent as the pour over the menu. Serena considers the wine list but decides against it. The waiter comes to take their order and they chat as they wait. Serena feels her eyes droop slightly and lets Bernie set the pace of conversation: they lapse between nattering about their day and silence till their food arrives.

The smell hits Serena’s nose and she perks up as her stomach growls. Bernie laughs at the sound and tells her to dig in. They eat in compatible silence, occasionally exchanging sentences, until Serena fall asleep sitting down and almost falls face first into the last of her meal.

“You should have said you were this tried,” Bernie lightly chastises as she flags down the waiter to get the bill. “We could could have gotten take out.”

“I wanted to come out,” Serena huffs and Bernie smiles.

“Well, now you have,” Bernie says reasonably. “But you’re still dead on your feet. Come on, I’ll drop you home and you can get a decent night of sleep,” she urges, bustling Serena to her feet and towards the exit once they have paid.

They walk out of the restaurant and towards the car. Serena’s foot catches on a dip in the pavement and she stumbles slightly. Bernie is at her side a moment, slipping an arm around her shoulder to steady her. Serena hums and curls slightly into the embrace: holds it till they reach the car. Presses her check against Bernie’s collarbone before reluctantly pulling away. 

 

*****

 

Serena definitely drifts off in the car on the way to her house. Wakes up with Bernie’s hand on her shoulder gently shaking her awake.

“Serena, you’re home now,” she whispers. “Time to get you to bed.”

“Promises, Bernie, promises,” Serena mumbles as she opens her eyes.

Bernie smirks and gets out of the car as Serena unclasps her seatbelt. She leans over to open her door only to find Bernie already there, pulling it open and extending her hand out to Serena. She takes the hand and clambers out of the car, slamming the door behind her. She keeps hold of Bernie’s hand as they walk up to the door.

Serena stops at the door and turn towards Bernie. Serena looks at Bernie in the porch light: light falling shadows on her face. Drinks her in through sleepy eyes: the rose of her cheeks, the sharpness of her nose, the bump on her chin. Bernie relishes the scrutiny, smiling back at the concentration etched on Serena’s face.

“Dinner was nice,” Bernie ventures, sensing Serena has about as much desire for the night to end as she does.

“Sorry for falling asleep,” Serena apologises. “The food was good though, we’ll have to go there again when I’m a not zombie.”

“Yes, absolutely,” Bernie chuckles andsmile spreads her cheeks: thin lips in a wide grin. **“** We’ll try for dinner there another time.”

“Like a date?” Serena asks, rolling the word around in her mouth.

“Exactly like a date,” Bernie replies, then falls silent with a twinkle in her eye.

Serena sees the gleam in Bernie’s eyes and suddenly she is no longer tired. She is, in fact, very much awake. Awake and very aware of being so close to Bernie.

Bernie watches as Serena runs her teeth over her bottom lip and purses. Bernie stares at the lip until Serena relaxes her mouth and looks up at Bernie, face open and eyes wanting.

Bernie looks back with a similar expression, her eyes dropping from Serena’s eyes to her lips and back again. She smiles wider and leans in closer, face hovering a few inches away.

“I would really like to kiss you, Serena.” The husk in Bernie’s tone runs right up Serena’s spine and she feels her stomach fall through the floor. She rests shaky hands on Bernie’s hips. “May I? To say goodnight?”

“Please,” Serena whispers, tilting her head slightly and leaning forward to meet Bernie halfway.

She knows it is still early days but Serena is sure she will never, ever, tire of kissing Bernie. Bernie with her warm thin lips that become impossibly soft when Serena plies them wide with open mouthed kisses. Bernie with her lithe frame that feels so strong pressed against Serena’s body and her sure hand that run all over Serena’s curves. Bernie with her slender fingers that somehow anyways end up on Serena’s neck.

Right on cue Serena feels Bernie fingers brushing against her neck. She delights at the feeling and whimpers into the kiss: opens her mouth wider and feels Bernie’s tongue brushes against hers. She breaks away, panting, and feels Bernie run her lips along Serena’s jaw.

Serena clings to Bernie’s coat to keep herself upright on shaking legs. She is dizzy, burning; her head lulls back as Bernie’s tongue flicks out to taste her skin. Her mouth falls open and a moan tumbles out.

“Come inside?” Serena gasps as Bernie trails kisses back up to her earlobe. She shoves a hand into her bag and starts rummaging around for her keys.

“I’d love to, Ms. Campbell,” Bernie whispers into the shell of her ear. “But didn’t you say you had an early morning?” She teases and feels Serena smile against her cheek. She pulls back, face blank and innocent. “So shouldn’t we behave ourselves then?”

Serena growls, tightens her grip on Bernie’s coat and pushes her against the door. Bernie laughs as she bounces against the door.

“To hell with early mornings,” Serena pins Bernie to the wood with a stare and her body. “I want you now.”

She slides her key into the lock as she leans forward; turns the key as she ravishes Bernie’s mouth. The door swings open and they tumble into the house. Bernie stumbles, almost falling backwards and taking Serena with her. Serena giggles and keeps their lips locked as she walks them into the hallway, kicks the door shut behind them.

They both cringe as the door slams shut louder than expected. They break apart expecting to hear a perturbed Jason call out: their ears strain but hear nothing. They look back at one another, arms still tangled, and Serena shrugs.

“Must be in bed already,” Serena say as she steps back to take off her coat and hangs in on a hook.

“Well, we are later than usual,” Bernie replies as she hangs her coat too and Serena slips off her shoes.

“Best be quiet anyway,” Serena quips as Bernie kicks her boots off and against the wall.

Serena steps forward, captures Bernie lips again and pushes her towards the stairs. Bernie lets herself be walked backwards, only stopping when her achilles hits the first rung. She pulls away and pushes Serena back lightly: grins as she takes Serena’s hand and leads her up the stairs.

The light in Jason’s room is still on and Serena knocks lightly as she says goodnight. Jason opens the door as Bernie tiptoes back a few steps: waves hello and says goodnight.

“Goodnight, Auntie Serena, Bernie. I hope you enjoyed your dinner and I’m going to go to sleep now.” He shuts the door with a thud.

They manage to keep their hand to themselves until they are both inside the bedroom with the door shut. Bernie slides up to Serena, pushing her against the door. Kisses her senseless, winding a knee between Serena’s and pressing up. Serena groans into Bernie’s mouth; grinds down her her kinked leg until Bernie breaks away, panting. Serena whimpers as she removes her leg and takes a step back.

“We should get ready for bed now,” she says as she lets go of Serena’s hips “We’ll both be too tired later.”

Serena drops her head back against the door and huffs. Bernie walks over to a pile of clothes on the floor — her pile of clothes — and starts rummaging for the cleanest piece she can find using the streetlight filtering in through the curtain. Serena stalks past Bernie on her way towards the ensuite.

She cleans her teeth and washes her face, her eyelids dropping but her hips still tingling where Bernie’s fingers gripped. She passes her, freshly changed into a t-shirt and pants, on her way out and towards the bed.

Serena strips bares and slides into the sheets; sets her alarm and makes herself comfortable. She breathes deeply as the mattress hugs her tired body and closes her eyes for a minute. She opens them again when the bed dips as Bernie slides in next to her.

“Hey, sleepyhead,” Bernie teases as settles into her side of the bed. Serena reaches for Bernie, pulling her closer and dragging her tongue up Bernie’s neck.

Bernie runs her hand over Serena’s side, relishing the feeling of hot soft skin under her palm. Slides her finger between Serena’s thighs and relishes the feeling of hot soft skin under her fingers. Bernie teases her, slick and wet, until Serena pleads for more. She sees the resolve flash in Bernie’s eyes and throbs; gasps as a thumb presses her clit and two fingers slide into her centre.

There is nothing gentle about the way Bernie fucks Serena with her fingers: hard and fast and merciless. Serena spread her legs, pushing Bernie deeper, and comes embarrassingly quickly. She cries out, back arching, eyes fluttering shut. She stops coming, sags onto the mattress; keeps her eyes closed as she hums through the aftershocks. She shuffles, feels Bernie’s hand retreat, and rest back on her hip. Snuggles into the crook of Bernie’s neck.

“Give me a minute,” she mumbles and feels Bernie drop a kiss onto the top of her head.

“No need,” Bernie whispers. “Go to sleep.”

Serena shakes her head as she closes her eyes.

She comes to curled up on her side with Bernie’s arm around her shoulder. She reaches down, not seeing Bernie’s closed eyes in the dim, trailing her fingers down Bernie stomach. Bernie twitches and cracks her eyelids open. She catches Serena’s hand, tangling their fingers together and resting them above Bernie’s bellybutton.

“No, sweetheart,” Bernie whispers, pressing a kiss against Serena’s cheek and tightening the hold on her shoulders for a moment. “We’ve got plenty of time for that later, sleep now.”  
****

Serena open her mouth to argue and a yawn falls out instead. She looks at Bernie, already half asleep again, and admits defeat. She presses a kiss to Bernie collarbone and shuffles deeper into the bed. Rests her head on Bernie’s chest and falls asleep with the sound of a beating heart in her ear and a warm body pressed against her own: falls asleep with a smile on her lips and a happy heart.


End file.
